Page 149 of Axe Marks the Spot

I’ve had the displeasure of meeting Jeremy and his new wife once. Lindsey and I drove Kas to his place, then spent the weekend with her mom a couple of weeks back. Lindsey’s mom, I loved. Jeremy is the dictionary version of a weasel.

We didn’t speak for long, and thank god for that. Had I listened to him make passive-aggressive digs at Lindsey for another second, I would have knocked him out. Lindsey had to practically drag me away as it was, and I left in a bad mood, one that only Lindsey was able to get me out of later that night by reassuring me that his words didn’t hurt her anymore, especially since I’d come into her life.

I’m about to tell Kas to listen to her mom, but Lindsey beats me to it. “I don’t care what your dad says; he doesn’t have experience with axes or axe throwing.”

“No.” Kas rolls her eyes like both she and her mother love to do. “Not that dad—Logger Dad.”

My hand on Lindsey’s hip stills, and she tenses in my arms. I have to admit, of all the funny, sassy, or unexpected things Kas has said, this one has caught me the most off guard. We’d planned to tell her tonight about the move—that I’ll be officially living with them, even though I spend most of my time there already. What I haven’t told Kas is that I plan to propose to her mom. I was going to ask her this week, when I have her to myself while Lindsey’s at work.

I want to make sure she’s okay with it, because if I wanted permission from anyone, it’d be Kas, especially given that my relationship with her mom evolved quickly. Quicker than most relationships do. It’s a trait Lindsey joked must run in her family, since Nathan fell in love with Fox and Morgan over a snowed-in weekend together. But love, I’m figuring out, rarely makes sense. And trying to make sense of it or control it will drive you crazy. It’s better to simply surrender to it.

“Kas,” Lindsey whispers. My grip on Lindsey’s waist stays firm as I look between them. Lindsey’s brown eyes are watering, and her lips are opening and closing as she tries to find more words.

“What?” Kas asks, as if what she just said wasn’t a huge deal. As if I’m not fighting tears of my own.

I never thought someone would call me dad, much less a cool kid like Kas. I always thought she’d continue to call me Logger Dane, no matter the status of my relationship with Lindsey.

“You called Dane Dad.”

Kas shrugs, looking between her mom and me. “Is that bad?”

Lindsey shakes her head and kneels in front of Kas so they’re at eye level. “It’s not bad, honey; we just haven’t talked about it.”

She shrugs again then looks up at me. “You’re always together now, and I overheard Uncle Fox talking to Aunt Morgan. He said you and Mom are like married already or something.”

Lindsey’s hand moves to her neck, fingering the O-ring on her day collar. Kas doesn’t think anything of it, but I know she must be thinking what I am: that Kas overheard Fox talking about Lindsey wearing my collar.

While most people wouldn’t know what the necklace around Lindsey’s neck could mean, Fox and Morgan do. There’s also the fact that I’ve recently spoken to Nathan about my desire to propose to Lindsey. That could be a discussion Kas overheard that Lindsey does not know about.

“We’re not married yet,” I say softly to Kas.

“Oh.” Kas pauses to think. “Good, because I want to be there. I was sad I didn’t get invited.”

Lindsey takes Kas’s hands. “Of course you’ll be invited. You think I would get married without you there?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Dad got married to Ava when I wasn’t there.”

Her words make me feel sick, giving me yet another reason to castrate Jeremy, or hire a “logger hitman” like Lindsey and I joke about.

“Oh, honey. No.” Lindsey squeezes her hand. “We would never. If Dane and I decide to get married, you’ll be the first to know.”

I have the urge to butt in and say that it isn’t about deciding we’ll get married—simply a matter of when—but I keep my mouth shut, more eager to talk to Kas about marrying her mom now. I think she’ll love it even more when I ask her “permission” after hearing all this and seeing how upset it made her. I bet she’ll want to be a part of the proposal, too.

“You promise?” Kas asks Lindsey, voice unsure. It makes the anger in my chest worse, because Kas never sounds unsure about anything.

“I promise.”

She looks to me, and I smile reassuringly. “I promise, too.”

“Okay.” She nods, pulling her hands from Lindsey’s. Lindsey stands, and I tug her back into my side, ruffling Kas’s hair again.

She groans and pushes my hand away, but a smile is now on her face.

“I do have to ask you one thing now, though,” I direct at Kas, “if that’s alright?”

She puts her hands on her hips and stares seriously at me. “What is it?”

“Yeah, what is it?” Lindsey echoes, looking up to meet my gaze with still-glassy eyes.